Motion sensors, such as angular rate sensors, are commonly employed in various applications to sense motion, such as angular rate. Sensors such as these are commonly manufactured as microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices using conventional micromachining techniques. Typically, a MEMS sensor may employ an electrically conductive micromachined plate of metal or silicon as a sensing element. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,450,751; 5,547,093 and 5,872,313.
Sensors of the type described above are capable of extremely precise measurements. However, conventional sensors may suffer various drawbacks which may include mismatches in the resonant frequency between primary and secondary flexure nodes at the sensor element, and may suffer from relatively high mass and performance limitations. Another drawback of some conventional sensors is undesirable sensitivity to vibration. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide for a motion sensor and method of manufacturing a sensor that overcomes drawbacks of the prior art.